Serendipity
by 321girl
Summary: "Oh gods, if Percy thinks it's a bad idea, then maybe we should reconsider..." When Will Solace begins to show interest in Nico's sister, Nico comes up with a (not-so-good) plan to keep the player away from her. But there is more to Will than Nico initially thought and he finds himself falling heads over heels for him. Highschool!AU. *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not my characters**

* * *

"This is a bad idea," Percy said. Everyone glanced sharply at him.

"Oh gods, if Percy thinks it's a bad idea, then maybe we should reconsider," Jason said.

Percy scowled, "What do you mean?"

His golden-haired girlfriend, Annabeth, rolled her eyes. "It means that you didn't think stealing dolphins from Seaworld was a bad idea…"

"They were being mistreated! I couldn't wait for some petition to take effect!" snapped Percy, green eyes blazing.

"Shut up!" Nico growled. "I'm doing this, okay!" Everyone turned back to the dark-haired Italian. Thalia sighed and pressed "Print".

"Then, let's begin," she said solemnly.

* * *

**Flashback**

Everyone stood around the school parking lot, clutching each other as they watched the firefighters hurriedly put out the blazing fire.

Annabeth shook her head in distress. "How are we going to go to school now?"

Thalia grinned, "I hope we don't have to go!" She and Percy high-fived each other, thinking of what they could do with the free time. Two days later, however, they had received an email that they would be attending the high school across town for the rest of the year as the school was repaired.

"Ugh! I can't believe they're doing this to us!" Thalia moaned. Annabeth fretted about the lack of studying time she would get, having to be shuttled nearly an hour each way. Most of the crew was apathetic about it, although Nico still felt a stab of uncertainty as he stood in front of the massive oak doors leading to Goode High.

Jason led the way, holding tightly onto Piper's hand, but walking in with all his friends made it more bearable as Nico glanced away from the inquisitive gazes of the other students.

At lunch time, Nico gathered with Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Thalia and Leo. They sat in the corner of the cafeteria and chatted about their day.

"Everyone here is pretty nice," Hazel said, "I met a girl named Katie Gardner and a sweet boy named Frank Zhang in biology."

Leo nodded, "And there's a hottie in my class named Calypso, who I'm pretty sure is in love with me." Everyone groaned in amusement at this.

"I already have the inside scoop on all the gossip at Goode." Piper admitted, stealing fries from her boyfriend.

Thalia waggled her eyebrows, "Ohh from Drew and Silena?" But before Piper could reply, the doors of the cafeteria banged open. A group of teens walked in, and Nico swore everyone's eyes were drawn towards the leader of the pack, or maybe it was because his attention was immediately pulled to the blonde haired boy.

He wore a brown leather jacket, jeans and tight white T-shirt showing off the planes of his chest. His eyes were a sparking blue, and his teeth were a pearly white as he flashed a smile at the newcomers. The handsome boy's gaze lazily drifted towards Nico's table and his eyebrows pulled together for a moment before he turned to sit with his own friends.

"Oh dear, that must be Will," Piper whispered. Nico pulled his eyes reluctantly from Will's unnaturally broad back.

"What's up with him?" Jason asked, everyone leaned in closer.

"He's the number one player at the school," Thalia interjected, "Almost every girl who doesn't have a boyfriend has had her heart broken by him."

Nico could see why any girl would fall in love with Will if looks alone were anything to go by.

Suddenly there was a musical "Hey!" Nico jerked backwards and saw that Will had come over to their table, flanked by another girl and boy.

"I'm Will, and this is Cecil and Lou Ellen," Will said, his voice slightly higher and more lyrical than Nico had imagined. Piper glowered at him, but Jason cordially introduced everyone at the table to Will.

"Hazel, was it?" Will turned to address Nico's half sister, and Nico realized that she had been staring at Will. He told himself that the unease that rustled through him was only a result of the bad rep Will had, not because he was jealous.

Hazel nodded, blushing under Will's gaze. He smiled and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "A pleasure to meet you," he whispered, blowing gently across her knuckles. Nico saw Piper gag at this, while everyone else was staring incredulously at Will, despite Cecil and Lou Ellen's attempt to engage them in conversation. Will straightened up and grinned that stupidly perfect smile at them. "Welcome to Goode," he announced, as if he hadn't just created a scene with his little display of affection.

When Will left, Piper pounced on Hazel. "He's bad news! Don't fall for him, Hazel."

Hazel nodded absently, "I won't," she promised. But Nico didn't like the way her gaze drifted towards Will as she clenched the hand he had taken.

* * *

**Will, a player? Out of character...but you'll see why in the next chapter. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews, bibinharamos, Must-Think-Of-Username ,bluelove22, and Cco :)**

**This chapter isn't very plot heavy...but it establishes a background, so please bear with me. The next one should have some more action.**

**I don't own the characters!**

* * *

Will waited by the library doors at lunch the next day. He casually lounged against them, flashing grins at his classmates and the new students to disguise his nervousness. Would she come?

There! Hazel pushed her way against the crowd, looking mildly uncomfortable. He saw her stop to chat to Frank, but when Frank turned to see where she was going and spotted Will, he glowered at him.

Will held open the door for Hazel, "I have a secret seat," Will winked at her. Hazel opened her mouth, but Will pressed a finger against it. He leaned down seductively for the sake of the students still wandering by. "Wait until we get there."

Hazel pushed his hand away in disgust, also aware of the other students and stomped past him. Will led her to a window in the corner of the library, close to old medical volumes and sheltered by dusty bookshelves that students rarely took from.

Alright, what's the deal, Will?" Hazel snapped, laying the note Will had slipped into her hand yesterday down on the window seat.

_Tomorrow library doors at lunch. I'll explain everything. Please play along and don't tell anybody about our history. _

"What's this about you breaking girl's hearts and making out with everything with boobs and a face?"

Will winced, "Ouch, that does sound bad."

Hazel crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened to the caring boy, who couldn't even bear to hurt a fly, that I knew?"

Will's face hardened. "He died when Sammy did!" He instantly regretted his outburst when Hazel's anger dissipated and her face crumpled. "I'm sorry. That was mean."

Hazel shook her head, "No, it was just a shock. You miss him too huh?"

Will nodded. He, Hazel and Sammy had grown up together in France. They were misfits, Hazel, because everyone in town was scared of her crazy mom, Sammy because he was too outspoken for his own good and Will, because he was weak and was terrible at sports. But when Hazel was eight, she moved to the United States to live her dad and step-family after her mother had committed suicide. Shortly after, Sammy had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It nearly killed Will to watch Sammy waste away in the hospital, but it also hardened his resolve to become a doctor, in hopes that one day he could save people. Despite their attempts to stay connected, the time difference took a toll on Will's and Hazel's friendship after Sammy died. It had been eight years since they had last talked to each other.

Will brushed a hand through his neatly spiked blonde hair and began explaining to Hazel.

"With you and Sammy gone, things went from bad to worse for me," Will recounted. "When I turned twelve, a new kid came to our school, his name was Octavian. At first I thought he'd be a good friend, I was so lonely without you guys. I told him everything."

Will's voice turned bitter, "I trusted him. I even told him I was gay." He gave a short laugh, "But he wasn't satisfied with just me as a friend, he wanted popularity and status, and hanging out with an outcast wasn't doing him any favours. He turned on me almost the day after I told him that.

"The bullying got worse, I…I almost even considered ending my life," Will whispered. Hazel gave a little gasp, and moved closer to him, entwining their fingers. He glanced at her gratefully and squeezed her hand.

"It went on for three years," Will closed his eyes, remembering the taunts, the days spent hiding in the library at lunch. He didn't elaborate on the days he'd stumble home with scraped knees and bruised shins, lying to his parents about sport mishaps. "I couldn't even lift a finger to defend myself.

"When I almost broke, dad got a job offer in America. It was a miracle, a brand new slate, no one knew me. I knew what the popular kids were like, so I spent my first summer in America working out, figuring out how to dress, how to talk so people would like me.

"I was terrified that people would figure out that I was gay though, so I started dating girls, but I couldn't keep a relationship going. It just never felt right. Then I got slapped with the label player."

Will laughed without humour, "It actually became easier after that. I was never serious about a girl, so I just flirted and moved on from each one. I've tried to keep flings short so no one is actually seriously hurt."

Hazel studied her old friend. He wasn't the genuine, caring boy who had wrapped up her scrapes and cuts while Sammy yelled at the girls who had pushed her off the swing, but he wasn't the cocky, airheaded player everyone thought he was either. With his barrier down, she saw an exhausted, troubled boy who was barely making it day to day. She chose her words carefully.

"Will, I get that it was tough, but people here a good, and understanding. Those kids were cruel, but we came from an old fashioned town, being gay is widely accepted here, don't you see that?"

Will twisted his face, "Please Hazel, don't blow my cover now," he begged. "One more year, not even, half a year now and I'll be on my way to medical school in California. I need to focus on my studies, not worry about this."

Hazel sighed in frustration, "But I don't want you to hurt anyone else!"

Will flinched, "I haven't hurt anyone," he said doubtfully. Hazel locked eyes with him and he groaned. "I've just gotten so used to flirting, it's second nature."

Hazel's eyes brightened. "Date me!"

"I'm gay," Will muttered seriously, "Did you not listen to anything I just said?"

Hazel giggled and shoved him, "I meant flirt with me, pretend you're interested in me. Then you won't hurt anyone else and you'll still have your disguise intact!"

A blinding smile worked its way across Will's face. "You, Miss Lévesque, are a genius!" He laughed and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I've missed you."

Hazel looked into his sky-coloured eyes, seeing some of the kindness she remembered and smiled. "I've missed you too."

* * *

Nico followed his friends out of the school, talking about Mythomagic with Frank, when he heard a shout and saw Will wave from beside a bright red convertible. Today he was wearing a black collared T-shirt, showing off his muscled arms and faded jeans. Two other boys who looked like twins were beside him. They loped over to the group and Nico grit his teeth as Will sidled beside Hazel and began chatting with her. Travis and Connor, introduced themselves and joked around with everyone else, instantly bonding with Percy and Leo. Nico was about to go hit Will as he saw him deviously curve his arm around Hazel in a very dramatic way. Luckily Piper beat him to it.

"So Will!" Piper said brightly, "I heard that you used to date Drew, oh two weeks ago? Were those the best three days of your life or what?"

Will recoiled from Hazel, but instead of Hazel glaring in disgust at him, Nico was shocked to see her shoot him a sympathetic glance.

"Definitely, she was great kisser," Will winked. Everyone in the group scowled at this except for Connor and Travis who seemed used to Will's attitude.

"We should probably get going," Travis said, "See you guys tomorrow!" The three boys sauntered off to the red convertible. As Nico and his group continued to the bus, he saw Will leap into the driver's seat without using the door out of the corner of his eye. That was not sexy at all, he told himself.

Thalia sent Will a death glare from the bus window, as the car pulled up beside the bus and Will waved cheekily to them. "I think he's going for you, Hazel," Thalia warned. "Want me to beat him up for you?"

"No, don't worry about it," Hazel smiled. "Love your support though."

Nico couldn't help but feel a strange sense of suspicion overcome him as he watched Will wave once more at the bus before the red convertible sped off in the opposite direction.

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**I like reviews :) So please review? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you enjoyyy :) I don't own the characters. **

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"WHAT!?" Thalia screeched. Everyone stared in shock at Hazel. She glanced down at her toes in embarrassment.

"Look, we're just working on biology together! Will said he'd drive me home."

They had been at Goode for over a week now and Will had been making his advances on Hazel very very obvious. Nico thought his sister would have more sense than to fall for Will, but that didn't seem to be the case.

_You also have a crush on Will_ a little voice niggled in his head. Nico scowled, banishing the thought. He'd never had a chance to really talk to Will, the blonde haired boy always seemed to be too busy flirting with his sister to notice the dark –not longing- looks towards him.

"I forbid this," Piper said, "It's for your own good."

Jason shrugged, "Will actually seems like a nice guy to be honest. Helped me get caught up in chemistry yesterday." Piper shot a look at her boyfriend, causing him to raise his hands in defense.

"Yeah, but Jason's a dude!" Piper implored.

Hazel seemed to find this amusing. "I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself."

"Like Bianca could take care of her self?" Nico snapped. An eerie silence fell upon the group, crawling between them in suffocating swathes. Hazel's eyes welled up and she glanced away.

"It was an accident," Percy breathed.

"Yeah," Nico laughed bitterly, "An accident that she chose to let Ethan drive her home while he was drunk! An accident that she went to that stupid party!" Nico felt the anger roaring inside of him. He was so close to saying it, so close to saying…

"Ready to go, Hazel?" The stupidly musical voice shattered the tension. Nico whirled around to see that idiot Will Solace standing behind him, looking unfairly like a sun god, biology textbook in one hand.

Hazel looked conflicted for a moment, but when Nico turned his dark look on her, she pressed her lips together and said, "Yes," marching away from her friends. Will gave everyone a questioning glance before trailing after her.

"Shit." Thalia muttered, watching Will open the car door for Hazel and bowing foolishly.

And Nico did not stare at Will as he leapt over the car door into his driver's seat.

* * *

Nico watched the clock, homework untouched on the table. 8:00 pm. His stomach twisted in fear. Oh gods what if Hazel didn't come home? He couldn't bear it if he lost another sister.

8:30 pm.

Nico, giving up on his homework entirely, sat cross-legged on the window seat, staring out at the dying sun, it's blood painting the sky a dark red. His parents murmured in the kitchen. He watched his reflection become more prominent, the dark bags under his obsidian eyes, floppy black hair, bow shaped lips.

8:40 pm.

He let out a sigh of relief when the red convertible pulled up. His relief quickly turned to anger when Will hopped out and opened the door for his sister. They were laughing and irrationally Nico was furious that they could have such an amazing time while he was sitting at home, stomach twisting in knots.

As Will and Hazel walked towards the door of the house, Nico slipped into the shadows. They stood for a moment on the porch and Nico thought, "It's going to be like the movies where Will kisses her goodnight." And he told himself he wasn't disappointed at all.

But Hazel just turned to the door and rang the doorbell. Nico hovered in the background as his mother opened the door.

"Hazel!" Maria chirped, "And you must be Will." Will nodded and smiled politely at her. As Hazel stepped inside, Maria invited Will into the house. He declined, saying he had to get home before it became too dark.

"Well, you must come over sometime," Maria said, "We've had all of Hazel and Nico's friends over at some point."

Will grinned, "I would love that ma'am."

"Suck-up," Nico thought sourly.

"Goodnight Hazel," Will said, "See you later, Nico!"

Nico started, then realized Will had seen him in the background. He belatedly realized that maybe he should wave or something, but the boy was already striding back to his car.

"Stupid Will." He thought as Will launched himself into the car and drove away.

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**Please leave some reviews! **


	4. Chapter 4

**After the slow build...we finally have (a little) Solangelo action**

**I don't own the characters**

* * *

"Pulmonary hypertension," Thalia read. "Terminal, few noticeable symptoms, this is perfect."

Nico nodded. "Alright, you're ready to fake all the documents?" Leo and Thalia nodded. Everyone was seated in Piper's massive living room. Leo and Thalia lounged at the small bar, laptops running. Nico was sandwiched between Percy and Jason on the couch, and Annabeth and Piper were sitting on the other couch, Annabeth braiding Piper's hair. Hazel was at Will's house _again_.

It had been nearly a month since they'd started attending Goode and everyone was loving it. Percy had met a dorky kid named Grover and they'd become best friends. Leo was head-over-heels for a girl named Calypso and had gotten close with Travis and Connor, Nico fondly remembered the massive food fight that they'd started last week. Annabeth, a girl named Reyna, and Frank were fast becoming a powerhouse in terms of leadership and brains. Reyna and Frank were the heads of the Student Council and Annabeth and Jason were heavily involved with it. Nico was pretty sure that Frank had a massive crush on Hazel but hadn't made any progress because of _Will_. He clenched his teeth thinking of how Will openly flirted with his sister and how close they'd become despite Thalia's and Piper's warnings.

He needed to do something before Will broke Hazel's heart. _It's too late for your heart though_ a voice in his head mocked him. Nico dismissed it. He didn't have a crush on Will, Will who was straighter than an arrow and didn't look twice at Nico.

So he came up with a rather foolproof plan. Pretend he had a terminal illness. He thought guiltily about how he was manipulating Hazel's concern and love for him, but he told himself it was for her own good.

Thalia pressed print and Nico held up the fake doctor's notice. _Here goes nothing_ he thought.

* * *

"Your brother is cute," Will murmured, flipping idly through his math textbook, lying on his stomach on his bed. Hazel, who was commandeering his desk, spun around and grinned.

"You should go for him."

Will snorted, "I see the way he looks at me. I'm pretty sure he'd rather kill me than kiss me."

Hazel raised an eyebrow, "And whose fault is that?"

Sticking his tongue at her, Will flopped onto his back. "It's not my fault that I got landed with the title 'player.'"

"Yeah, but it's your fault for sticking with it."

Will sighed, "What do you think it will take for Thalia and Piper to stop hating me? I swear they're the ones putting the idea in Nico's head that I'm going to break your heart."

Stretching lazily, Hazel glanced down at her Calculus homework. Ugh she hated it. Will was all right with math, but she should have asked Frank. She blushed, thinking of the how understanding and kind he was. Noticing her pause, Will turned over and smirked.

"Thinking of Frank?"

Hazel squealed. "Am not!" Will laughed, then groaned as Hazel tossed her eraser at him, smacking him right between the eyes. "Anyways, I wouldn't worry about Thalia and Piper, they'll come around. Everyone else already seems to like you enough."

Will shrugged then closed his eyes sleepily. Maybe he would take a nap before he drove Hazel home. He fell asleep to the image of smoldering onyx eyes.

* * *

Nico paced nervously in front of Hazel's room. He told himself that the nervousness would just help his act, but the guilt was tearing at him. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on her door, fake papers clutched in his hand.

* * *

"Coming over today, Hazel?" Will asked brightly. Hazel turned to him, eyes downcast.

"Sorry I won't be able to." Will looked in concern at his friend, she seemed tenser today and avoided his gaze.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I got to go."

Will watched her as she ran to Nico and he wrapped his arm around her, shooting Will an almost apologetic look.

* * *

"How long," Hazel croaked, eyes red.

Nico looked at the ground and swallowed the guilt, "Approximately eight months." Hazel gave a small heartbroken cry and clutched to him.

_You're despicable_ Nico thought as he hugged his sister. _How could you do this to her?_

* * *

Percy and Annabeth looked appropriately devastated when Hazel told them, Percy's green eyes welling up. Everyone had played their role accordingly. "I don't want to tell mom and dad yet," Nico admitted to Hazel. "It would crush them."

Hazel nodded and wrapped her hand around his, leaning against his lithe frame.

"I'll stay with you."

_You're terrible. Look at her. You're a liar!_

* * *

"Hazel, please, did I do something?" Will begged, grabbing onto Hazel as she left biology. Hazel smiled apologetically at him.

"No! It's just some family issues."

"Tell me. I…I can't lose you again." Will implored.

Hazel looked tortured, then resigned. "Don't tell anyone, okay"

"Cross my heart," Will promised, knowing he would protect her secret to the ends of the earth.

"Nico was just diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. Terminal. He's got eight months." Will gasped, reminders of Sammy piercing through him. Hazel closed her eyes tightly to prevent the tears.

"He could collapse any time. I need to be by him. And…and I just want to spend the most time with him, before..." her voice cracked. Will pulled her into a steady hug.

"I understand," he whispered. He own heart twisted, thinking of how he'd lose Nico before he'd ever met him. He knew about Hazel's mom's suicide and then her step-sister's, Bianca death and now Nico's impending doom; it must be doubly as devastating for her.

"And I won't let you go through this alone."

* * *

Nico lounged with Hazel on the couch. It was a Sunday morning, and most of their friends were at home finishing homework. Hazel was flipping through her novel for English and Nico was struggling to remember the order of the presidents of the United States. Suddenly the doorbell announced the arrival of a guest. Hazel and Nico exchanged a confused look and Nico got up to get the door.

He opened it to reveal a smiling Will Solace, arms full of music, vegetables and board games. "Hey Nico!"

And Nico, smooth as he normally was, blinked and said,

"Why do you have broccoli?"

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**A kinda humorous end? LOL please leave reviews :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much for the reviews everyone, I swear they keep me going! Shoutouts to Must-Think-of-Username, bluelove22, TheGirlWhoRemembers, Child of Hypnos, Calea and Liz :) Now, without further ado, the next chapter!**

**I don't own the characters.**

* * *

Will chatted with Hazel and Nico as he moved around their kitchen. A pot of bubbling broth was already simmering on the stove as Will chopped up vegetables. His hair was neatly spiked as usual and he wore a too tight yellow T-shirt that was making Nico's eyes hurt.

Nico and Hazel were perched on bar stools around the island, Hazel flipping through Will's record collection. "Frank Sinatra? I didn't know you were so classic Will." Hazel teased.

Will grinned, turning to pour a plate of carrots into the soup. Nico's nose twitched appreciatively as the room filled with a homey smell. Will spun around dramatically and began to sing "You're so classic." Nico's jaw dropped open because Will's voice was so…

BAD

It was off tune, off key, cracking on every second word. Nico couldn't understand how someone with such a lyrical and gentle voice could sound worse than a dying cat. He began laughing, and even snorted. Nico paused, mortified for a moment, but Will was still warbling away and Hazel was begging him to stop, tears of mirth streaming down her face.

Nico allowed himself a small smile, and blushed as Will came around and wrapped his arms around both him and Hazel.

"You don't have to cook for us," Nico muttered, but his voice didn't hold nearly the same bite to it as it usually did. Will ladled out some of his soup into a bowl and passed it to Nico, and was it Nico's imagination or did Will's hands brush against his for longer than necessary?

Will shrugged and doled out some soup for Hazel. "Hazel said since your parents work a lot, you usually don't get healthy meals. As an aspiring doctor, I couldn't just let you guys have McDonalds every day."

Nico sniffed, "There is nothing wrong with McDonalds." After tasting Will's soup though, he was convinced that he would gladly give up McDonald's for this any day.

Hazel sipped her soup and hummed in approval. "Thanks Will."

Will smiled, eyes flickering to Nico, although the boy was so invested in his soup he didn't notice the quiet longing and sadness in Will's blue eyes. "Any time."

* * *

Nico watched everyone laugh and splash about in the water. It was an exceptionally warm Saturday and the entire group plus their Goode friends (A/N: Get it? Goode Friends? Hehe) had decided to visit a park just outside the city. There was a large pool of water, stream fed and currently most of his friends were taking turns swinging off a tire attached to a tree into the pool. It was relaxing being away from the city, and Nico watched in satisfaction as Frank and Hazel chatted on the bank of the river, heads close together.

He heard a strangled cry and saw that Jason had knocked Percy off a fallen tree that acted as a bridge over the river. "I'm King of the River!" Jason hollered, only to have Piper stealthily nudge the back of his knee causing him in splash in as well.

Nico snickered and lounged back in the shade of an oak, dressed head to toe in black as usual despite the heat. He got up and stretched, wanting to explore the forest some more. He considered telling Hazel, then decided that it wasn't worth interrupting the couple. Melting into the shadows, he began to follow the river downstream.

As usual, Nico's thoughts flickered to Will. For the last three months, Will had made it a habit of coming over to his house every Sunday to play board games and cook for them, not to mention he'd started having them and Frank come over once a week just to study. He claimed he needed help from Frank with math, but seeing Frank and Hazel awkwardly flirting with each other, Nico suspected Will was trying to set them up.

This confused Nico to no end. Will had made it pretty obvious before that he liked Hazel, so why now was he encouraging Frank and her to get together? It made no sense. He shook his head, trying to think of something else besides Will, but a small group of clovers clustered along the river triggered a memory from last month.

* * *

"I can't believe I lost!" Nico groused, as Will bankrupted him. Hazel grinned and moved her piece along the Monopoly board.

"I guess I shouldn't leave you to our finances," Hazel teased. Nico huffed.

"This is just a game of luck, and I have terrible luck."

He was too busy pouting to notice the pained quick look Hazel and Will exchanged.

"_It's a genetic disease." Will read to Hazel. She nodded, sniffling. _

"_I guess Nico just got the short end of the genetic pool," she said sadly. "Poor boy. First he lost his sister to an accident and now this."_

The next day, Will had run up to him in the hall just as Nico was closing his locker. "Here." He shoved a square package at Nico, wrapped in newspaper. "See you tomorrow!"

Nico stood there in surprise as Will wove through the crowd and disappeared out the doors. Later that night, when he unwrapped the package, he found a light glass frame half filled with four leaf clovers. From the colour of them, it seemed that Will had collected the four leaf clovers over a lifetime. A sticky note was stuck on the face.

_Since you don't have any luck Death Boy, you can have mine._

* * *

Nico leaned down and fingered through the cluster by the river. No four-leaf clovers here. Since he'd gotten the frame, he'd only managed to add one more to the collection. He couldn't imagine how hard Will must have worked to collect all the ones he'd given Nico. Continuing down the path, Nico noticed the river split.

He decided to follow the smaller stream as it wove deeper into the forest. Nico inhaled the scent of damp greenery as a serenity wrapped its gentle arms around him. The stream slowed to a trickle, and Nico considered turning back, but he forged on anyways. Pushing through the ferns, Nico saw the stream combine with other trickles and a few miles later, he heard the muted roar of a waterfall.

Interest piqued, he peered over the edge of a shallow cliff to see the water rush down about 10 feet into a small pool. He was surprised to see that at the base of the waterfall there was a boy with bright yellow hair.

As Nico leaned over to see who it was, he slipped on the wet rocks and gave an astonished gasp, tumbling forward. Luckily, he wasn't hurt. Unfortunately, that was because he landed on someone.

"Uhh," the blonde boy groaned from underneath Nico. Nico scrambled off of the stranger, but his apologies died on his lips when the boy rolled over, blinking in confusion.

"Will!?" Nico cried.

Nico almost didn't recognize Will. Gone were the tight clothes, and neatly spiked hair. Will was wearing a loose orange camp T-shirt with a blue plaid shirt thrown causally over top. Instead of tight jeans, he wore a pair of surfing shorts and flip flops. His hair was messy, as if he had just rolled out of bed and Nico realized it was longer than he'd thought, and fell in soft waves over his forehead.

Scattered around Will were medical textbooks and papers, and Nico realized with chagrin that he was stepping on one of Will's books. Will sat up, rubbing his head and squinted at Nico.

"Did it hurt you at all when you fell from heaven di Angelo?" he groaned, "Because it sure hurt me when I fell for you."

Nico hoped Will was too addled to see his face turn crimson. "I'm sorry," he muttered, glancing away. Then a thought struck him, "I thought you were too busy studying for your entrance exam to come to the lake," he accused.

Will grunted, "I was studying." He winked, "But you're a more than welcome distraction."

Nico shook his head and knelt down, "I hope you didn't get a concussion or anything."

Will pressed his lips together, "From my self diagnosis, I'll be fine." He grabbed Nico's hand and Nico instantly flinched away. But Will was adamant and Nico reluctantly let Will guide his hand to Will's head. "Feel that bump? It's on a non-vital part of my head. So there shouldn't be any problems."

Nico quickly withdrew his hand, already missing the feel of Will's soft curls. He hoped Will hadn't noticed his racing pulse. "Sorry anyways." He muttered.

Will flashed him that bright grin that Nico thought he'd be used to by now, but it still sent skeletal butterflies fluttering in his stomach. "No worries. So why don't you hang out with me for a bit, I could honestly use a break from studying."

Nico nodded, both terrified and thrilled to be spending time _alone_ with Will. His initial awkwardness soon fell away though as he and Will began to banter about their courses and random topics.

"Apollo is the best god!" Will surmised. Nico shook his head.

"No way, Hades has an empire and army of the dead."

Scoffing, Will bumped Nico with his shoulder. "You only say that because you dress like a Prince of the Underworld." It was true, Nico was outfitted in dark jeans, a black T-shirt and dark brown aviator jacket. His converse were dirty enough that there was practically no white showing through as well.

Nico sniffed, "Then you dress like a sun god. That bright orange shirt is burning my eyes."

Grinning cheekily, Will puffed out his chest. "I am a sun god, can't you see that I'm so _hot_?"

"Even blind, I'd still know how hot you are," Nico admitted. There was a tense pause, as Nico desperately tried to think of a way to retract his words. Then Will began chuckling softly.

"Flirting di Angelo? I see I'm rubbing off on you." Will began to lean closer to Nico, his blue eyes tracing over Nico lazily.

"It's a side effect of being too close to you," Nico breathed, heart racing erratically as he tried to sort out whether he should go in to fight or flight mode.

"Mhmm, not close enough." Will murmured, bringing a hand up to brush Nico's hair out of his face. Nico involuntarily found himself moving in, their lips just inches apart.

BRRRRINNGGGGGGG

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**Ohhh, so close ;) I wonder who would call to interrupt Nico and Will? Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews everyone :) Here's the next chapter (I don't own the characters!)**

* * *

Nico's phone screamed shrilly in the silence, causing him and Will to leap away in fright. Will's face began turning a bright red and Nico's probably wasn't any better, as he fumbled around in his pocket.

"Hello?" Nico squeaked into the phone. He flushed darker and cleared his throat.

"NICO DI ANGELO WHERE ARE YOU?"

Nico screwed up his face and held the phone away from his ear, sure that Hazel had made him partially deaf. "I went on a walk," he admitted, glancing over at Will. The other boy had his gaze fixated on the ground, tips of his ears still bright red, but mirth played on the edges of his smile as he listened to Nico's sister's rage.

"And you didn't think for a second that I might get a little worried that you DISAPPEARED WITHOUT LETTING ANYONE KNOW WHERE YOU WERE GOING?"

Nico grunted, "Sorry, but…"

"Gods Nico! What if something happened to you?" Hazel's voice trailed off, the unspoken words heavy in the air. _What if you had died?_

The guilt gnawed at Nico. "Sorry," he said again pathetically, "I wasn't thinking." Hazel sighed.

"Where are you? I'll come and get you."

"It's fine," Will called. Nico started and wordlessly handed his cellphone over. Will took it, careful to avoid physical contact and put it up to his ear. "Hey Hazel."

"Will," Hazel still sounded upset, but amusement crept into her tone. "Are you with Nico?"

"Accidentally," Will laughed, "He kind of fell into me."

"IS HE HURT?"

Will winced, holding the phone away. Nico looked smugly at him. Rubbing his ringing ear, Will said, "No! I'll just bring him back over, are you still at the pool?" Hazel affirmed it, and Will hung up, handing the phone back to Nico. As his hand brushed Nico's, the other boy jerked away. Will turned to the ground and began collecting his books, hiding his blush. Did he seriously almost kiss Nico?

_I wonder if his lips feel as soft as they look_ Will thought wistfully as he shoved everything into his backpack, sneaking a side glance at Nico. The Italian had his eyes averted as he handed Will his pencils and paper.

As Nico and Will traipsed back to the pool, Nico couldn't help letting his thoughts swing wildly. What had just happened? Were they about to kiss? Wasn't Will a player...who dated girls? Didn't he hate Will?

Nico was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't notice that Will had asked him a question. "Huh... yeah."

"Dude," Will said seriously, "I just asked you if you would be my slave for the rest of eternity."

Nico blinked, then registered what Will said. "No, you didn't!" He protested.

Laughing, Will punched him lightly in the arm. "Come on, slave, I'm not that boring!"

"From your point of view maybe," Nico snorted. "And I'm not your slave."

"Then you can be my Death Boy."

Flushing hotly, and hoping Will wouldn't be able to see it in the dappled sunlight, Nico retorted with a weak, "Okay Mr. Sunshine."

Will flashed Nico a grin that made him weak at the knees. Will opened his mouth, then frowned and shook his head. Nico was about to ask him what was up, when they entered the clearing. Everyone turned at their entrance. Hazel's worried look giving way to anger and relief as she hurried up to Nico.

"OW!" Nico complained as she punched him in the arm, hard, "That's going to leave a bruise."

She pulled him into a hug, "Good. Think of it as a reminder to never scare me like that again."

Nico relaxed into her hug as another wave of remorse passed through him. Although, he wondered idly if she would have been as worried if he wasn't "terminally ill." Releasing him, Hazel thanked Will for bringing Nico back.

"Anytime," Will chirped. He blushed as Hazel gave him a knowing look. "Well, I'd best be off. See you in school!"

It was almost painful for Nico to tear his gaze away from Will's retreating form, as he was embraced by the forest. "Wow. Will sure looked different today." Piper mused.

Nico thought about Will's casual, carefree look. How simple and effortless it was, unlike his usual perfectly tailored outfits. It made Will look more real, more genuine.

* * *

Nico didn't want to admit how attractive Will had looked today, but as he was laying in his bed at home, staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't get the almost-kiss out of his head. _You're acting like a school girl, _he chastised himself. The headlights from the cars outside cast mottled shadows on his walls, as he tried in vain to fall asleep.

All Nico could think about was Will. Stupid Will and his stupid caring and how he would always do the stupidest things to get Nico to laugh. His stupid sparkling sky eyes and perfect smile. Nico rolled over and glared at the wall, which was a mistake, seeing the picture frame of four leaf clovers hanging there, which Will had hung up himself. Nico's lip twitched as the changing lights illuminated a significant dent in the wall. He remembered how horrified Will had been when he accidentally put it there.

_"Oh my gods. I'm sorry, Nico," Will moaned, "I swear I didn't mean to."_

_Nico looked quizzically at the dent. "I don't even understand how you managed to make a dent in the wall with a picture frame."_

_"Talent?" Will managed._

Nico had to turn his face into the pillow to stop a laugh from escaping him. He remembered how awkward Will had been around his parents as well, or more specifically, his dad.

_"Your dad is an undertaker? I didn't know that position still existed!" _

_Nico rolled his eyes, "It's called a funeral director." _

_The dinner had been going well, Maria was enthusiastic to hear about Will's medical ambitions and Will was as charming as ever. His mannerisms didn't seem to impress Nico's dad at all though. _

_"So Mr. Solace, I would like to know your intentions for befriending my children."_

_While Nico and Hazel turned horrified and embarrassed looks on their dad, Will joked, "So if I ever screw up on a surgery or something, you can hide the body for me, right?" When the horrified and embarrassed looks found a new target, Will wilted slightly. "Haha, I'm just kidding, I think your job as an undertaker...I mean funeral director is pretty cool. The position must really suit you, eh, not that I'm implying that you look all doom and gloom or anything. I mean, dead people can't talk back at you, so you don't have to deal with insubordination and bad, but perfectly well meaning, jokes and unnecessary rambling, and oh my gosh how about you kill me now. I trust that you'll organize a nice burial place for me. Or maybe not, just throw my body into a river and tell my family that I love them."_

_And with that, Will's forward thunked onto the table with such force that the dishes rattled. _

_Nico and Hazel began to giggle at the completely lost look on their dad's face, as Will tried to bury his head into solid oak._

Nico looked back up at the ceiling, frustrated with his inability to sleep. He reached for his phone on his bedside table, with the intention of watching some mindless TV show to fall asleep to, then hastily retracted his hand, realizing the screensaver would probably not help his situation.

_Will snatched the phone from Nico's hand. "Hey!" The shorter boy snapped, "What do you want?" They were both sitting in the library, waiting for Hazel, Frank, Reyna, Lou Ellen and Cecil to come join them for a study session. _

_"I'm bored, and you being on your phone instead of talking to me is not helping things."_

_"But my Mythomagic game," Nico complained. _

_Will cocked an eyebrow and pressed his hand over his heart, "Are you saying Mythomagic is more important to you than me?"_

_"A lot of things are," Nico muttered, earning a wounded glance from Will. The blonde boy sighed and looked at Nico's phone. _

_"Well, I think you need a constant reminder about the more vital things in life." With that, Will shoved his face beside Nico's and held Nico's phone up, snapping a photo. _

_"What!" Nico shouted, turning red and lurching away, only to realize what Will was doing and he scrambled back towards Will, "Give that back!"_

_Laughing, Will leaned over the side of his chair, using his shoulder to prevent Nico from getting the phone back as he fiddled with it. _

_"Voila, now I'll always be on your mind." Will tossed the phone back to Nico, who pulled away and hurried unlocked his phone. Where his Mythomagic background used to be, there was now a crude photo of him and Will. Will's mouth was wide open in a ridiculous smile and Nico had a combination of a smirk, surprise and mortification etched on his face. _

_"Gods, I look terrible," Nico said, wincing at the half smile on his face. _

_Will leaned over, breath caressing Nico's cheek. "You look fine. I'm the more __embarrassing-looking one there."_

_"I'm going to change it back," Nico smirked, "I don't need a heart-attack from your ugly face every time I open my phone." Will shrugged. _

_"I guess I'll have to find other ways to keep myself on your mind."_

_Nico never changed his phone screensaver._

"I guess you don't need any help staying on my mind," Nico murmured in the darkness. His eyes suddenly flickered open and he cursed loudly, jerking up in bed. Bracing himself on either side, he stared in horror at the picture frame on the wall.

Shit. I'm in love with Will Solace.

* * *

**Can we reach 35 reviews? Pretty please with a cherry on top :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**And here's the next chapter :) Thank you everyone so much for the reviews! They make my day :3**

* * *

Nico was feeling a strange mixture of relief and disappointment when he didn't see much of Will for the next week. It wasn't surprising really, since Will was busy with entrance exams to get into medical school, and Nico was glad that Will was too preoccupied to notice how Nico's gaze had been lingering on him for longer than usual lately.

Nico couldn't get Will out of his mind AND he'd started to have dreams of kissing Will. Which was not good. Nico kept trying to tell himself that Will was just a player and that Will was for gods sake, not gay, but it was hopeless. He was heads-over-heels for the boy.

They were in music class and Will's head was nearly face down on the music stand. Nico hated how the circles under Will's eyes were starting to look permanent, but he kept his mouth shut, knowing Will would just wave it off. Their teacher, Mr. Pan, strode up to the front of the class and announced that they would be doing in-front of class assessments. Most of the class was horrified by this, especially when the curly-haired man grinned at pointed at Grover.

"You're up."

As Nico was internally panicking about how to get out of doing a solo performance in front of the rest of the class, Grover performed well, despite his surprise and initial nervousness. After a jolly harmonica tune, Grover sank back into his seat with a sigh, as Percy clapped him on the back. Mr. Pan glanced around for his next victim, and his gaze settled on Nico.

_No no no no _Nico chanted in his head. His prayers went unanswered as Mr. Pan said, "di Angelo, you're up next."

Nico glanced to the side and saw that Will's head was settled on the music stand and that he was snoring softly. Sighing, Nico stood up, at least he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of Will, he thought wryly as he stepped to the front of the room.

He hesitated, unsure of what to do, then he began to sing softly.

_Close your eyes_  
_I know what you see_  
_The darkness is high_  
_And you're in ten feet deep_  
_But we've survived_  
_More terrible monster than sleep_

_And you know i will be here, to tell you to breathe_

_Tu sei il mio soldatino (you're my little soldier)_  
_la ragione per cui vivo (the reason i live)_  
_non ti scordar di me (don't forget me)_  
_io vegliero su di te (i'm watching over you)_  
_stumbling lost_

_The last choice of all that you meet_  
_It's the cost_  
_Of rulling those 'neath you feet_  
_Paths you've crossed, and trust you're trying to keep_  
_You're exhausted_  
_Listening for a voice that can't speak_

_Ma nico mio caro_  
_Tu sei il mio soldatino (you're my little soldier)_  
_la ragione ho vissuto (the reason i live)_  
_non ti scordar di me (don't forget me)_  
_io vegliero su di te (i'm watching over you)_

_So you run_  
_Through shadows you roam_  
_seams undone_  
_By the love you thought you could own_  
_but he's just one_  
_Of many that you might call home_  
_And maybe someday, the bitter will fade from your bones_  
_Fade from your bones..._

_eri il mio soldatino (you were my little soldier)_  
_ora un principe oscuro (now a dark prince)_  
_ma anche per te, c'e una luce (but even for you, there is a light)_  
_che ad un'altra vita ti conduce (that leads you to another life)_

Nico smiled and blushed as the everyone cheered. Jason and Percy were giving him a thumbs up and Piper was beaming widely. Hazel had tears in her eyes and faint smile on her face, recognizing the song as the lullaby Bianca used to sing to Nico. Will was giving him a standing ovation, and wait...Will?

The blonde haired boy looked perfectly awake as he whooped for Nico. The singer felt his face warming up dangerously as he soaked in the admiration from his crush. So instead of sitting back down, Nico mumbled something about having to go the washroom and sprinted from the classroom.

Nico splashed water on his face and dried it off with a paper. _Get a hold of yourself _he berated. _It's just Will Solace. Good looking, kind, funny...ARGH. _

Giving up, Nico stormed from the washroom, only to collide with the object of his desires. Will grinned down at Nico, his hair sticking up in odd directions from his impromptu nap. "I didn't know you could sing like that."

Nico froze like a frightened deer, then shrugged in what he hoped was a careless manner. "Everyone sounds good compared to you, Will." Yawning, Will draped an arm around Nico.

"Let's go outside for a bit," he suggested. "Mr. Pan is going to catch me falling asleep if I go back."

Nico squirmed under Will's arm, half of him wanting to pull away and the other half wanting to snuggle closer to Will. He looked up under his eyelashes and sighed. There was no way he could ever say no to that face. The two boys sat on the back steps of the school, Nico on the top step and Will one below him. The air swirled with the fresh scent of spring and new beginnings. Will yawned and leaned against Nico's legs. "You're really good," he slurred.

Blushing, Nico twined his hands in Will's hair absentmindedly, making a face as his fingers came away coated with gel. "Thanks," he murmured.

"What song was that anyways?" Will asked, eyes closed.

Nico stiffened. Will noticed and sat up straight. "Sorry, touchy subject?"

He could have left it, but for some reason Nico wanted to tell Will; he wanted to unburden himself from the dark thoughts that plagued him at night. With those understanding, compassionate eyes trained on him and nothing but a willingness to be helpful shining through, Will seemed like the perfect person to open up to. "It was a lullaby Bianca, my older sister, used to sing for me. She died just over a year ago," Nico said slowly. Will leaned back against Nico and gave his ankle a slight squeeze to indicate that he was still listening. "She was dating a guy named Ethan at the time. I didn't really like him, but Bianca just thought I was upset that she was spending more time with him than me. We had been arguing, but before she went to a party, Bianca came to my room and gave me a little statue of Hades as sort of a peace offering."

"Your favourite Greek god."

"Yeah," Nico whispered, pleased that Will had remembered, "I was...less than gracious about it though. But we made amends and I promised myself that I would go buy her some flowers -lilies were her favourite- tomorrow after she came back home.

"She never came back though," Nico wiped a stray tear from his eye almost angrily. "Ethan had been drunk and he got in a car accident, killing both of them. I never forgave Bianca for leaving me."

Nico shrugged helplessly, "I was angry for the longest time, still am, I guess, about the fact that if she had just listened to me, then she'd still be around. I was also mad at myself for not ending off on a better note, I should have told her I loved her or something." His voice trailed off.

Turning around, Will looked deep into Nico's eyes, turquoise into obsidian. "You know it's not your fault," Will whispered. His hands intertwined with Nico's. "And trust me, she didn't mean to leave you. I'm not going to say forget about it, but be happy. She would want that for you."

Nico hiccuped slightly, embarrassed, but not wanting to pull away. "It's difficult to let the past go," he said.

Will gave his hand a squeeze, and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Then don't, just focus on the future more," he sighed. "Don't lose sight of the new people in your life because you miss the people in your past."

Nico couldn't help but wonder if Will was referring to himself. As the other boy relaxed against him, Nico could have sworn he heard a quiet, no louder than the breeze rustling through the trees:

_I think I'm in love with you_

* * *

**_Because sleepy Will is an honest Will lol :) Please review, I was hesitant about putting the song there, but I actually saw it in another fanfic and was like OMG BEST NICO SONG EVER! #mustsharewiththeworld_**

**_Anyways, the next chapter will either be up on Sunday...or next Friday and it'll be from Will's POV for the first time :D_**


	8. Chapter 8

**And here it is: Chapter 8 :) I hope you all enjoy Will's POV. And thank you to all those who reviewed for the last chapter, you rock ma socks off! 100% fluff. **

* * *

Will grunted and slammed a hand down on his alarm clock. Screw school. He was so wiped from all those exams. He figured he could afford a day off, but before he could bury his head back under the covers, his phone buzzed with an incoming text message. Will briefly considered ignoring it, but he groaned and pulled it from his nightstand. Rubbing his eyes blearily, he slid his thumb across the screen and broke out in a tired smile.

Death Boy 8:01 am

_How does it feel to be done?_

Mr. Sunshine 8:05 am

_Like shit to be honest. I think I might skip out today. _

Death Boy 8:06 am

_Did you get sick? I TOLD you to take care of yourself. _

Death Boy 8:06 am

_Stay home today. Frank and Hazel and I can come bring you your homework and stuff. _

Mr. Sunshine 8:07 am

_D'aww. You're the sweetest. I don't know if I can wait a full eight hours before seeing your face though. _

Death Boy 8:08 am

_Haha funny. Go back to sleep._

Will grinned and rolled back into bed, closing his eyes. All he could picture was Nico, with his shaggy black hair and dark burning eyes. He carefully imagined every part of Nico, savouring it, as a person might pour over letters from their lover. Nico's full, pink lips, so kissable, especially when he was pouting; his long eyelashes that made Will's heart flutter every time Nico looked up from under them; his lean build that fit so perfectly with Will..._Man I have it bad_, Will thought sleepily. He sighed, only a few hours until he could see Nico again.

The hours passed painfully slowly, but Will could feel the exhaustion set in. He hadn't anticipated how draining his exams would be and his body was finally protesting from the week of sleepless nights. By the time four o'clock rolled around, Will was tensing in anticipation at the sound of every passing car. When the doorbell finally rang, it took far too much self control to stop himself from running downstairs and pulling Nico into his arms.

In a few moments though (to Will it felt like a thousand years), Nico, Frank and Hazel were sidling into his room, arms full of textbooks. Will jumped out bed. "You're here!" he sang. Nico instantly turned a cherry red and turned away. Hazel clapped a hand to her mouth, eyes sparkling and Frank snorted.

"Nice underpants, Will."

Mortified, Will realized that he slept in just his boxers dotted with smiling suns and a ratty T-shirt, and he was currently standing in front of his friends only outfitted in those two articles of clothing. He grinned cheekily though and struck a provocative pose. "Too much for you, Zhang?"

Frank groaned. "Stop defiling my eyes and put some clothes on."

Will shrugged and pulled on a pair of shorts that were crumpled at the foot of his bed, as Hazel and Frank settled at his desk. Although Nico had his eyes firmly fixed on the ground, they kept sliding up, only to meet Will's amused gaze and pull away again. Nico's face was still a rosy pink and the Italian bit his lips and muttered something about how Will obviously was still not thinking straight.

As usual, Nico perched on the end of Will's bed, and Will stretched out beside him. Hazel and Frank began talking - flirting really - and Will stared at Nico. He couldn't stop daydreaming about how it would feel to pull Nico close to him, to kiss the tip of his nose, the side of his jaw, run his hands along his taunt muscles...

"What are you looking at, Solace?"

Will snapped out of his reverie and smiled sheepishly at Nico's blushing face. "You, obviously."

Turning away, Nico muttered, "Well, stop." But Will was pleased to see that the tips of Nico's ears were turning red as well.

Eventually Will ended up with his head on Nico's lap, as the other boy leaned against the wall, legs dangling over the side of Will's bed. Nico had his eyes closed as he mouthed the names of chemical formulas and Will was reading his English novel.

"Romeo, Romeo whereforeart thou Romeo!" he cried in a faulty accent, clutching at his heart. Nico cracked open an eye and scowled down at him.

Snatching the book from Will, Nico read in a flowery voice, his Italian accent prominent, "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Snapping the play shut, he grinned down at Will, "And that's how you read Shakespeare."

Will may or may not have been drooling. Realizing what line he had just read, Nico flushed and glanced away, only to meet the triumphant glances of Frank and Hazel. He pushed Will off his lap, and jumped up. "We should be going," Nico muttered. Will clumsily got up as well, already missing the warmth from Nico and pulled Nico into a hug to compensate. The dark haired boy stiffened against him at first, then relaxed and squeezed back gently.

"Thanks for coming over," Will murmured against Nico's hair.

Nico shrugged, "Anytime," his voice muffled against Will's chest.

Will smiled softly. "I may hold you to that."

After they had left, Frank and Hazel shooting less than subtle glances between the two boys, Will collapsed on his bed. He felt like he was coming down from a Nico-high. He couldn't believe he had only known Nico for four months and yet it felt like he had known him forever.

Will jerked up in horror at the realization. They had known each other for four months. Nico had eight months to live four months ago. He only had four months left with Nico. Blinking back tears, Will tried to calm himself, but the thought of Nico's cold body in a casket nearly sent him into hysterics. Breathing in slowly, Will thought about the conversation he had with Hazel so long ago in the library. He had been so excited to know that he would be graduating soon, and that he would be able to leave. Now, he thought bitterly, he wished he could turn back time to the start of the year.

Should he tell Nico?

Will chewed his lip in indecision. If Nico didn't like him that way, this could ruin their relationship. He flinched, remembering the teasing and the cruel shoves and dirty glances from his childhood as well. But if he didn't give it a chance...

Steeling himself, Will launched out of his bed, exchanging his ratty T-shirt and shorts for a pair of jeans and his orange camp T-shirt. He ran a hand through his messy hair, but he was so distraught he couldn't bring himself to care. Dashing downstairs, he grabbed his car keys from the kitchen counter and sprinted to his car. Will launched himself over the door and into the seat and brought the engine to life. He drove towards Nico's house, heart hammering and palms sweaty.

Will's mind was on one track as he pulled up to Nico's house and rang the doorbell. His pulse was racing and his heart was in his throat, but he couldn't bring himself to let his mind wander, otherwise he would convince himself that this was rash and stupid. So he kept up a steady _Nico Nico Nico _monologue in his head as he waited for his dark haired angel.

Nico opened the door, surprise etched on his face. "Will, what..."

Before Nico could say anything else, Will, fearful that his courage would desert him and he'd end up back where he'd started, grabbed Nico's T-shirt and pulled the dark-haired boy close to him, sealing their lips together.

* * *

**Finalllllllly right? Please leave some reviews :) Otherwise I may just have to leave this as a cliffhanger bwahahaha. BTW: ****Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes :( I wrote this in a hurry.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks so much for the reviews :) Glad to know people are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing! You guys &amp; gals are the best!**

**And now for chapter 9, chalk full of angst and betrayal (which is what I like writing best :P )**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Nico was happy. He paused for a moment, suddenly realizing this was the first time he had applied the word to himself since Bianca's death. He smiled wistfully and brushed a hand over his mouth again.

Will had kissed him.

Nico flushed, remembering how he had just frozen when he had opened the door, wide eyed as his best friend pulled him close and crushed their lips together. It was messy, confusing, full of desperation and unsaid words.

It was everything Nico had ever dreamed of.

When Will had pulled away, blushing furiously and babbling out a meaningless stream of apologies, Nico had shaken himself out of his reverie and yanked Will in for another kiss. This time their lips had met with a gentle caress, as they carefully explored each other. Will's lips had been warm and Nico had hesitantly brought his hand up to twine it with the hair at the back of Will's neck. They breathed each other in, until Nico's lungs had finally protested, and they had to break away. Will had trailed his hand down Nico's arm and clutched his hand tightly. "So, I guess that's a yes?"

Nico had blinked and grinned wryly, "What's the question?"

Will had laughed and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Nico had smiled, so widely that he was sure his mouth would split apart, and tiptoed to meet Will's lips again.

Nico sighed and curled up in bed. He had no idea how he would tell Hazel, but remembering her secretive glances, Nico suspected she had known long before he did that he and Will would somehow end up together.

* * *

Will yawned and reached for his coffee mug. He brought it up to his lips and scowled, realizing there was nothing left. He leaned back in his chair and stretched, smiling as he brought a hand up to his lips. He and Nico had kissed. He was giddy with excitement, but also with fear. He only had four months with Nico. Will turned back to the computer and pulled up another research paper. Four months to come up with a cure for pulmonary hypertension? He grit his teeth. There was no way he'd let Nico slip from him that easily.

* * *

Hazel muffled a giggle behind her hand as she opened the door. Will was standing on the doorstep, hair askew and shirt buttoned up improperly. She stepped forward and adjusted his collar. "What brings you here at 7 am? You know Nico won't be awake until at least noon today."

Will looked down at her, bloodshot eyes crinkling as he smiled. "I was up all night researching pulmonary hypertension." Hazel stiffened as Nico's illness was brought to the forefront of her mind. It was always there, lurking and casting a dark shadow on her day to day activities. Even spending time with Frank did little to abate it. "There are four different types of pulmonary hypertension and there are some treatment methods. I was hoping you would come to see Nico's doctor with me, so we can discuss some solutions?" Will continued, oblivious to Hazel's tension.

Hazel looked up at him in surprise and relaxed, "Shouldn't we go with Nico?"

Will shook his head, "I don't want him to get stressed out about it. Besides," he blushed slightly, "It would be a nice surprise for him if we could figure out a way to save him."

Hazel grinned and stepped back into the house. "Well, then let me get ready and you can take the guest bathroom to fix your appearance up."

Glancing down, Will groaned. "I can't believe I went to your house looking like this."

Hazel winked, "Don't worry, you're not trying to impress anyone who is awake here."

* * *

Hazel's chest was tight with apprehension as she and Will strode into the hospital. Will chatted casually with the receptionist as they waited for Dr. Chiron. When a kind-looking, bearded man stepped into the waiting area and ushered them into his office, Hazel's heart rate spiked. Will seemed completely in his element though, as he explained to Dr. Chiron that they wanted to discuss Nico's condition, spewing out medical terms Hazel didn't understand.

Dr. Chiron nodded but he seemed slightly bemused. Turning to his computer he typed quickly on it. "I definitely have some viable treatments for pulmonary hypertension. However, don't recall having ever seen a Nico di Angelo though." He shook his head, "I can't find him on my records, and I am a hundred percent sure I remember all my patients."

Will and Hazel looked at each other in confusion. "What do you mean, you've never seen a Nico?" Hazel snapped, "I have his forms right here." Dr. Chiron took the forms and read over them quickly, shaking his head in confusion.

"These are fake," he said gravely.

Hazel blinked and understanding slowly dawned on her. "He lied to us?" Her throat constricted as she tried to keep her eyes from watering.

Will was slower on the uptake, "What do you mean? Nico gave us these, he said...he said he was dying."

Hazel slowly shook her head, and pressed a hand to her mouth. "He lied," she repeated hollowly. Wrapping an arm around her, Will apologized and thanked Dr. Chiron and pulled Hazel out of the doctor's office and into his car.

"He must have had good reason to," Will explained, although he looked betrayed as well. Hazel pressed her lips together and stared out the window as the world rushed by. They drove in grim silence until Will pulled up outside Hazel's house. "Do you want me to talk to him too?"

Hazel shook her head, "No, I think we should have a family discussion first, then he can explain to you."

Will pursed his lips and nodded. He forced a smile, "Look, it's Nico. He wouldn't have done this just for kicks. Maybe he's in trouble."

"Maybe," Hazel muttered doubtfully, already feeling the sharp sting of deception. As Will drove away, Hazel walked inside, shutting the door with a tiny click. She paced around in the kitchen, hearing the shower upstairs signifying that Nico was awake. The distress was slowly creeping in on her and her mouth dried as she tried to think of what to say.

Hazel pulled out her cellphone, fingers hovering over Will's number. She needed more moral support, but suddenly, she heard Nico materialize behind her. Feeling her anger boil over at his casual "Hey," as if he had never lied to her, as if he hadn't been the reason she spent several nights crying herself to sleep, Hazel spun around, eyes blazing with hurt.

She didn't notice that she had hit call.

"I went to the doctor with Will today, Nico." Hazel said, barely concealing her anger. Nico glanced up, peanut butter covered knife hovering in the air.

"Is something wrong with you or Will?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing. He placed the knife on the counter and stepped towards her.

Hazel breathed in deeply through her nose, noticing that she was already starting to tear up. "No, but apparently, there isn't anything wrong with you either."

Nico tilted his head in confusion, then a look of horror spread across his face. "You know," he whispered.

Hazel gave a sharp bark of hysterical laughter. "Did you enjoy watching me hurt?" Hazel said slowly, "Because it was killing me to think that any day now, you would be gone from my life. Do you how many people I've lost? And you just decided to play around with my feelings?"

"Hazel, I'm so sorry, but..." Nico began.

"Why did you lie to me, Nico?" Hazel shouted. "I thought we were siblings!" Her voice cracked, "Is it because I'm not good enough? Would you have lied to Bianca?"

Nico reeled backwards. "No! I love you. I did this because I care." Nico reached out to his half-sister, and when she flinched away from his touch, as if it had burned her, it hurt more than a shot through his heart. The betrayal in her eyes was worst than every nightmare he'd had while conceiving the plan. "I did it to protect you from Will!"

Hazel shook her head in confusion, tears blurring her vision. "What do you mean? Will's nice, he..."

"He's a player!" Nico snapped. He wasn't sure where this was coming from, after all, weren't he and Will a couple now? But in the chaos of the moment, drowning in the fears that he would lose another sister, this time to his own stupidity, Nico couldn't think. "He's terrible and cruel and I had to keep him away from you!"

Hazel opened her mouth, but Nico steamed on, desperate to defend his unforgivable actions. "All he does is walk around breaking girls hearts, making out with anything. I didn't want him to hurt you like that. He's not good enough for anyone!"

"I...I know."

Nico and Hazel started, glancing around to see a distraught Will standing in the doorway. He had his phone half-raised to his ear and his lower lip was trembling. Nico was shocked to see the tears running down in twin trails from Will's eyes. Then he realized. "Did you hear everything?"

The pain filled gaze was all the answer Nico needed.

Will spun around and sprinted from the kitchen, front door slamming behind him. As the adrenaline rushed from his body, Nico slumped to the ground, hearing the Will's car screech away. His eyes, wide and haunted, stared unseeingly at the floor.

What had he done?

* * *

**BOOM ANGST Can we reach 55 reviews please? :)**

**A/N: I know that the whole "Will hearing the conversation on the phone" is unrealistic, but I couldn't really figure out how he could eavesdrop otherwise :P **


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG thanks for the reviews dearest readers :') They mean so much to me.**

**Here is the next chapter!**

* * *

It killed Nico. It killed him to see that Will and Hazel were so heartbroken over his lies. Sitting in the darkness of his room, Nico pulled his blanket around his shoulders and sniffled, replaying the last few hours in his mind.

After Will had left, Hazel had stormed into her room, locking the door against Nico's pleas. His parents were out of town, so he and Hazel should have been stuffing their faces with snacks, snuggled up on the couch watching the Walking Dead, but instead he'd screwed everything up. Nico leaned back against his headboard and wiped the tears from his eyes angrily. He was so stupid. He somehow had managed to hurt the people who cared about him the most in his own selfishness.

The realization hit him with the strength of an earthquake. Did he really fake the illness to protect Hazel? Or was he just jealous that Will had been flirting with her? Nico buried his face in his knees and gave a choked sob. At the sound of his door opening hesitantly, he brought his head up with a snap.

Hazel was standing in the doorway, her face obscured in shadows.

"Hey," Nico said uncertainly.

Hazel walked into his room slowly and glanced at the window. In the thin shaft of moonlight, Nico could see that she had been crying and his heart broke into even tinier fragments. She came and sat on the edge of his bed, and Nico wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and wrap her up in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," Nico whispered.

Hazel stared at the frame of four-leaf clovers on his wall. "I don't understand, Nico," she said tiredly. "What did you mean when you said you did this to protect me from Will?"

Twisting the blanket in between his hands, Nico explained about how he had thought Will was a player, and that he was afraid of losing Hazel like he'd lost Bianca. "I just overreacted," Nico admitted, "I just drew so many parallels between you with Will and Bianca with Ethan. When I realized that Will wasn't so bad, I was in far too deep with my lies. It was wrong, I know, but...I love you, Hazel, I truly do. I would never ever willfully hurt you."

Hazel was silent, and those few moments were the longest of Nico's life. Then she looked at him with shiny eyes. "That's incredibly sweet and even stupider of you, Nico." She laughed lightly. "But I guess I can't stay mad at you for wanting to protect me." Nico felt relief blossom in his chest. He opened up his arms and Hazel curled against him. It felt so good, holding her close again, and Nico resolved to never let anything come between them again.

Complete honesty, Nico thought.

"And to be honest," he murmured against her wild hair, "I was jealous that Will was hitting on you and didn't even seem to notice me." Hazel snickered.

"Oh he noticed you," she said.

Nico half-smiled, then froze, "Do you think he'll forgive me?" he said brokenly. Hazel twisted around so that she was facing him. She gently stroked his unruly midnight hair.

"He really likes you Nico," Hazel whispered. "If you apologize, I don't see why he wouldn't, especially since you only did it to protect me." Nico's lips flickered upwards. Hazel was much too good for him. Pressing his forehead into her shoulder he thanked fate for gifting him with such an amazing sister. He would apologize to Will tomorrow in class and hopefully, just hopefully, it would all be okay.

* * *

Nico was a bundle of nerves as he waited in music class for Will. His apologies were ready, but Will didn't come into class until about halfway through, and he slid into a seat by the far corner, avoiding everyone's gaze. They were still going through evaluations, however, Nico found he couldn't focus on the students at the front of the class. He stared unabatedly at Willl's hooded form, hoping that Will would look up and meet his gaze.

"William Solace," Mr. Pan called. Nico winced as Will got up and shuffled to the front of the room, throwing back his hood. Will looked terrible, his eyes were slightly puffy and ringed with darkness, as if he had stayed up crying last night. His hair was askew and his mouth was pulled down in a frown instead of his usual sunny smile. Despite this though, Nico still thought Will looked like a god.

"Whenever you're ready, Will."

Will paused for a moment and turned to grab a guitar. Nico was surprised, he didn't know Will played any instruments. From what Will had insinuated, he had no musical talent whatsoever. Then Will began to strum the guitar and in a raspy voice started singing.

_Just yesterday_  
_You were a part of me_  
_I used to stand so tall_  
_I used to be so strong_  
_Your arms around me tight_  
_Everything, it felt so right_  
_Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong_  
_Now I can't breathe_  
_No, I can't sleep_  
_I'm barely hanging on_

Nico was shocked. Will was always caterwauling like a dying cat around him, he had no idea that Will could actually sing like this. As Will continued, his voice cleared and began to flow in a soulful tune, although his eyes looked completely dead.

_Here I am, once again_  
_I'm torn into pieces_  
_Can't deny it, can't pretend_  
_Just thought you were the one_  
_Broken up, deep inside_  
_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_  
_Behind these shattered eyes_

_I told you everything_  
_Opened up and let you in_  
_You made me feel alright_  
_For once in my life_  
_Now all that's left of me_  
_Is what I pretend to be_  
_So together, but so broken up inside_  
_'Cause I can't breathe_  
_No, I can't sleep_  
_I'm barely hangin' on_

Nico felt the guilt clawing at him, sure that Will was singing about him, although the blonde boy refused to meet anyone's gaze. He stared at the ground and spit out the words harshly.

_Swallow me then spit me out_  
_For hating you, I blame myself_  
_Seeing you it kills me now_  
_No, I don't cry on the outside_  
_Anymore..._

As the last notes simmered in the air, Will stood up abruptly and put the guitar on the ground. He left the music room without a second glance. Everyone sat in shock, unsure of how to react. While Will's performance had been exceptional, it had opened a little window into the sheer amount of pain he was in. Nico swallowed the lump in his throat, as the door swung shut with a sense of finality.

* * *

"Go talk to him!" Hazel begged. Nico slammed his locker shut.

"He won't listen to me," snapped Nico, his chest tightening to the point where he wasn't sure if he could breathe. He remembered looking for Will in their other classes, calling him, sending him text message after text message, all to no avail.

"No one can contact him, no one has heard from him in three days." Hazel said, "I'm afraid he's gone and done something stupid."

Nico froze. No. Will wouldn't do that. Will was Will. Sunny and able to rebound from anything. He wasn't stupid and mopey like Nico. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees and Nico suddenly felt dizzy.

"I'll go over to his house after school," he managed. Hazel pulled him into a hug.

"Good luck."

* * *

Nico breathed in deeply, and knocked on the bright yellow door of the house he had frequented so often for the last five months. The door swung open to Will's mother. She smiled brightly at him, and Nico could see where Will got his smile from.

"Why, hello Nico!"

"Uh, is Will home?"

Will's mom narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Will told me that he was staying over at your house for the last three days to work on a school project."

Nico shook his head mutely, suddenly terrified. Where was Will?

* * *

Will ran, legs pumping, wind rushing through his hair. He didn't think, he just ran. His stupid, traitorous heart hammering to the beat of his ragged breaths. There wasn't anyway to win. Being himself led to bullying, putting on an act drove his only love away from him. He didn't know what to do anymore. He felt the air sting his cheeks and realized that tears were streaming down his face. Stop crying, he told himself. But even his body was betraying him. He kept pushing, even as his legs burned and he couldn't get enough air into his lungs.

_He's not good enough for anyone._

Choking on nothing, Will nearly collapsed as he entered familiar territory, miles away from home. He stumbled forward, moonlight painting everything in a cold silver, and closed his eyes, falling forward.

A rush.

And then nothing.

* * *

**Soooo...I'm a jerk and left off on another cliffhanger :P On the upside, only one more chapter, probably (which will be the most exciting one)!**

** The song Will sang was "Behind these Hazel Eyes" by Kelly Clarkson *slightly edited* for those that are interested, by the way. **

**Please R&amp;R :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm sorry this took so long :( I had stuff to deal with stuff... But I am really happy/sad to be concluding this story and I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed :) You are the reason I kept continuing through! So thank you, from the bottom of my heart! **

**Now without further ado...THE LAST CHAPTER!**

* * *

Nico raced home, blood roaring through his ears. Oh gods where was Will? When Hazel opened the door, a hopeful smile on her face, it vanished as quickly as a puddle on a hot day. "Oh no," she whispered.

"Will's mom is calling the police. I gave her the names of all of Will's friends, but I don't think he's with any of them."

Hazel pushed her unruly hair from her face and stamped her foot in frustration, "Where could he be then?"

Nico licked his lips and said, "Can you call Frank? I might know of a few places, but we'll need a ride."

The children's hospital. No.

The local college library. No.

Slamming his fist into the side of the building, Nico swore and pressed his head to the cool brick wall. Not at the archery range either. He was out of ideas. Where the hell could Will have gone for three days? Did he leave the city? As Nico forced the panic from his mind, one last place materialized in his head.

_Did it hurt you at all when you fell from heaven di Angelo? Because it sure hurt me when I fell for you._

"The waterfall," Nico breathed.

Frank gunned the engine, and they were all flying down the highway, mouths set in grim lines. Hazel glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Nico staring broodingly out the window, dark hair falling into his face. He had seemed so much more content since he and Will became friends and Hazel wished with all her heart that her brother would finally get the happy ending he deserved.

Nico already had the door open as Frank parked in the gravel driveway and Frank and Hazel had to scramble to keep up with the Italian as he wove through the forest. The sun was slowly starting to fade and Nico knew he needed to get to the waterfall before it became too dark to find the faint trail. Nico pushed past the ferns to the top of the waterfall, Hazel and Frank close behind. Will had to be here, Nico couldn't think of anywhere else. He stuttered to a halt, staring in horror at the scene below.

Hazel's piercing scream shattered the serenity of the forest.

* * *

(A/N: I was seriously considering leaving it here for a bit...but I thought that was too mean HEHE)

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Nico thought he was going to throw up. His best friend, his...boyfriend, was sprawled at an unnatural angle at the base of the waterfall. Scrambling down the rocks, Nico knelt by Will, constricted sobs building up in his throat. Will was laying face down in the coarse sand, his arm bent awkwardly beneath his body. Dried blood strained the area by Will's head and Nico could see a small gash running across his forehead.

He couldn't tell if Will was breathing.

Frank knelt down beside Nico as Hazel hovered behind them. Frank slipped his fingers beside Will's neck and gave a weak smile. "He still has a pulse. But he needs immediate medical attention."

As Hazel dialled for an ambulance, Nico rocked back and forth on his heels, too afraid to touch Will. Afraid that Frank had made a mistake and that Will was dead and gone, and that it was all his fault. He blinked rapidly as Frank wrapped a strong arm over his and Hazel's shoulder. When the Frank left to lead the paramedics to the secluded area, Hazel gave Nico a firm hug.

"He'll be okay," she whispered, but the uncertainty in her voice made Nico's blood run cold. How long had Will lain there? it made him sick to think that if Hazel hadn't convinced him to go to Will's house yesterday, Will might have been dead by now. He completely shut down, watching numbly as the paramedics lifted Will onto a stretcher and carried him away. It was only due to Hazel and Frank's support that he didn't collapse at that moment, but when Will disappeared from view, Nico started to panic.

"I have to be with him!" Nico shouted suddenly, racing towards the ambulance. He banged fruitlessly on the closed doors, until two paramedics pulled him away.

Frank put an arm around him. "We'll follow behind the ambulance." Nico nodded, eyes fixated on the ambulance as it wailed away.

* * *

Beeeep Beeeeep Beeeeeep

There was a dull throbbing in Nico's head as he sat beside Will. He barely heard the doctor as he murmured to Hazel, Frank and Will's family. "Overexertion" and "exposure" were thrown around quite a bit, but Nico was waiting for the words "Going to make a full recovery."

He didn't hear them.

"His body has gone into a temporary shutdown," the doctor explained to Mr and Ms Solace. "It was its way of protecting itself when the Will fell down. We're trying to slowly wake it up. Too quickly and there could be adverse neurological effects, memory loss for example. However, if we can't get Will to wake up soon..." he trailed off, Hazel stifling a sob. "He will literally run out of energy and completely shut down."

Nico wouldn't leave Will's bedside, gently brushing Will's matted hair from his face robotically. Hazel wrapped an arm around Nico and gave a squeeze. "Nico, we should go home," Hazel whispered.

"Not until Will wakes up," Nico muttered hollowly, eyes haunted.

"Nico, the doctors are going to try to restart Will's body in an hour. You'll have to leave."

Nico shrugged Hazel off of him. "Then I'll relocate to the hallway. I'm not leaving him, Hazel," his voice cracked. "Not again."

* * *

The nurses eventually relented to having Nico stay in the cafeteria as Will went into the neurological unit. He sat motionless under the harsh white light, hands clasped in front of him, as he stared unseeingly at the wall. Hazel wanted to stay with him, but he sent her home to explain to their parents.

If Will died, Nico was almost certain he would too. Not just from the grief, but from the guilt as well. He closed his eyes and allowed a singular tear to slip out. _Please_ Nico thought _Please let him be okay._

"Mr. di Angelo?" Nico started, turning to see the doctor standing the doorway. His face was grim. Nico's heart plummeted, and he struggled to stand up. "Will's body has started functioning again, but we're waiting to see if he has suffered any brain damage. You may wait in his room until he wakes up."

One hour. Nico fiddled with the edge of Will's bed sheet and made idle conversation with his dad.

Two hours. Nico put his head on the side of Will's bed, exhaustion threatening to yank him into unconsciousness.

Three hours. Nico was startled awake from his light nap at a sharp gasp from Will.

"Will," Nico whispered. The blonde boy turned his head to Nico.

There was no recognition in his eyes.

* * *

Slumped against the wall outside Will's room, Nico wept brokenly. The doctor, after doing careful testing, had confirmed that there was no significant brain damage.

"What do you mean, no brain damage?" Nico screamed. "He doesn't remember who I am!" The doctor shook his head.

"Give him time, he should remember everything eventually."

Everything in Nico's body pushed at him to run away. Get away from the reminder that he had screwed up his one shot at happiness. Stay away from the boy who had stolen and shattered his heart. But he wouldn't. Bianca wouldn't have wanted him to do that. Hazel wouldn't want him to do that.

Will was sleeping when Nico slipped into his room a few hours later. It had taken a while to pull himself together and to report to Hazel. He had watched Will's family talk to Will and then leave the hospital, and certain he and Will wouldn't be interrupted, settled in the chair beside Will. Nico didn't want to wake Will; he needed his rest. Yet, every part of Nico wanted to shake Will and demand that he remember him. He would rather deal with Will's anger, his hurt, anything but the polite indifference in his eyes.

As Nico watched the time slowly tick by, he began to sing softly.

_You, you got me_  
_Thinking it'll be alright._  
_You, you told me,_  
_"Come and take a look inside."_  
_You believed me,_  
_In every single lie._  
_But I, I failed you this time._

Nico bowed his head and began weeping softly in the darkness of the room. If Will never recovered, it would be his fault. Nico wasn't sure if he would be able to go to school and watch Will laugh with everyone else, not knowing what he and Nico used to have.

_And it feels like tonight._  
_I can't believe I'm broken inside._  
_Can't you see that there's nothing that I wanna do,_  
_But try to make it up to you?_  
_And it feels like tonight,_  
_Tonight._

"I never felt like this before.  
Just when I leave, I'm back for more.  
Nothing else here seems to matter.  
In these ever-changing days,  
You're the one thing that remains.  
I could stay like this forever."

Nico looked up and met Will's blue eyes. The eyes that he had fallen in love with the first time he had seen Will. The eyes that glowed with warmth when he looked at Nico. The eyes that had been filled with fear and desire after their first kiss. The eyes that now shone with recognition.

* * *

Nico snuggled up against Will as they watched the sun rise, their breaths making little clouds in the crisp early morning. Will wrapped an arm tightly around Nico, massaging his shoulder absentmindedly. Nico reached up and brushed a hand along Will's jaw. "You alright?"

Will smiled down and pressed his lips to Nico's forehead. "I'm with you. I'm more than just alright." Nico traced his eyes over Will's face and his brow furrowed as he passed his gaze over the half-healed scratch on Will's forehead. Giving him a disapproving look, Will brought his other hand up to smooth out the frown. "I'm fine."

Nico looked down. "I don't think I'll ever fully forgive myself."

"Hey now," Will said sharply. "It was my fault for being a player and for being overly sensitive. I should have listened to your side of the story before going AWOL." His eyes softened. "And besides," he gently brushed his lips along Nico's, "If you had never faked a terminal illness, I probably wouldn't have had the guts to hang out with you. In some roundabout way, everything worked out."

As the sun lit up the sky, Nico curled closer to Will, humming in appreciation. _Maybe Will was right_, Nico thought, _maybe fate just had a funny way of making everything work out._ Nico's lips curved up in a soft smile.

There was a word for that, wasn't there? A word to describe how the best things coming right out the blue. A word that turned lies into love. A word that meant Nico would never have expected that he'd be content in the arms of someone who he thought was a player. A word that was the sheer dumb luck that Will Solace had fallen for him too.

Serendipity

* * *

**I hope the last chapter wasn't too rushed :/ And I hope you all enjoyed it! Again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews (please leave one last one for the final chapter?)**

**For those who are still eager for more Solangelo, I started another multichap called "In Defence of Love," a law AU and am working on an angsty one-shot similar to "And You Let Them Go"**

**Over and out!**


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